It's more realistic then Holland selling the entire team and hoping he gets Mcdavid.

Saying every team is a few players away is just not accurate, only half the teams make the play offs which means that only half the teams have the chance to contend for the Cup. The wings are in the playoffs right now, 50 % of the league would love to be in the same position we are. Ask fans of the Panthers or Oilers and see if they are happy to continue to pick early.

The Wings haven't had a top pick in a long time and that didn't stop them from drafting Pav, Z, or Lidstrom. They don't need the top pick to Win.

Actually over half the teams make the playoffs, there are 16 spots for 30 teams. And you're right that you don't need a top pick to win, but, the team is suffering from years of not having much talent in the farm system. How about I ask the Pens, or the Blackhawks how they like having some early picks or how about Colorado?

How about I ask the Pens, or the Blackhawks how they like having some early picks or how about Colorado?

Why not ask Edmonton too. There are teams that have picked early for years and never got out of the basement and perhaps never will.

On a different point, In the playoffs anything can happen. A injury or two can decimate a teams chances. One player getting hot can vastly improve them. Calgary went deep, Edmonton too, who would have though Carolina would win a cup for christ sake?

Why not ask Edmonton too. There are teams that have picked early for years and never got out of the basement and perhaps never will.

On a different point, In the playoffs anything can happen. A injury or two can decimate a teams chances. One player getting hot can vastly improve them. Calgary went deep, Edmonton too, who would have though Carolina would win a cup for christ sake?

Yeah, a lot of them road hot goalies. As for Edmonton it's more their drafting philosophy of taking the best player available and not the best player that fits their needs that has screwed them up so bad.

Actually over half the teams make the playoffs, there are 16 spots for 30 teams. And you're right that you don't need a top pick to win, but, the team is suffering from years of not having much talent in the farm system. How about I ask the Pens, or the Blackhawks how they like having some early picks or how about Colorado?

My bad 47.7 percent are jealous of us not 50. We where good while Colorado, Chicago, and the Pens were collecting their picks, would you rather we had sucked alongside them so we could have had those same picks? What you're proposing is nonsensical not to mention highly improbable, and I just can't debate this anymore.

"He usually shows up when the game is over and tries to be the hero. Puts his cape on and goes and flies out there." ~ Franzen

My bad 47.7 percent are jealous of us not 50. We where good while Colorado, Chicago, and the Pens were collecting their picks, would you rather we had sucked alongside them so we could have had those same picks? What you're proposing is nonsensical not to mention highly improbable, and I just can't debate this anymore.

If you're okay with years of what we are seeing this season fine. As I said there are two options, you are debating against one of them.

Holland either needs to make at least 2 trades to address the two biggest holes on this team (top 6 winger and #2-#3 RH D-man) or he has to go into full rebuild. Either way, this 'rebuild on the fly' is not a tenable solution as I keep saying.

Well, what's it gonna be Kenny. 3 games this weekend, 2 important eastern conference games. If Helm and Datsyuk aren't good to go, and we don't make a deal, how the f*** can we compete with Andersson on the top line? The guy is a marginal NHL talent, if we were ever 100% healthy he should be up in the press box having a protein bar with Dano and Bert.

Well, what's it gonna be Kenny. 3 games this weekend, 2 important eastern conference games. If Helm and Datsyuk aren't good to go, and we don't make a deal, how the f*** can we compete with Andersson on the top line? The guy is a marginal NHL talent, if we were ever 100% healthy he should be up in the press box having a protein bar with Dano and Bert.

Andersson isn't an nhl player. Proved it tonight. We can find bottom liners that can PK like him and still pitch in. Andersson is slow as s*** and doesn't do much out there even strength. Even with Franzen and Nyquist he looked bad.

Yeah, a lot of them road hot goalies. As for Edmonton it's more their drafting philosophy of taking the best player available and not the best player that fits their needs that has screwed them up so bad.

I agree, I was readying an interesting article awhile back that said something like Franchise players don't get picked outside the top four picks. The chances of finding one outside the top two picks are slim at best.on a good success rate. Everything after that is more luck based. Same article also mentioned how Detroit has been the best franchise of the last decade. Granted the article was a few years old.

Andersson isn't an nhl player. Proved it tonight. We can find bottom liners that can PK like him and still pitch in. Andersson is slow as s*** and doesn't do much out there even strength. Even with Franzen and Nyquist he looked bad.

I can't believe they didn't call up Jarnkrok to play, Babs must have some weird Cleary like love for Andersson to play him so much. The guy looked good for 2 months playing with Nyquist and Brunner because their speed made up for his anchors on his feet. In the offensive zone, he's a dud. Should be in the minors, but the injuries are just... ridiculous.

Andersson isn't an nhl player. Proved it tonight. We can find bottom liners that can PK like him and still pitch in. Andersson is slow as s*** and doesn't do much out there even strength. Even with Franzen and Nyquist he looked bad.

He proved it tonight?? Andersson was setup for failure by babs. He's not a 1st line center, he just isn't. But to say he doesn't belong in the nhl is stupid. He's a good pker, and fits well on a checking line. Not everyone can be a superstar.

Let me lay it all out in one post so the people who keep trying to argue me can actually understand:

In the NHL today a majority of teams make the playoffs. It is not a huge accomplishment in and of itself to keep making the playoffs. This team will continue to be mediocre if it's goal is only to make the playoffs every year without doing what it takes to be a real contender. The decision needs to be made quickly or it will be made for the Wings, as Datsyuk, and Franzen are both over 35 and Zetterberg's back seems to be getting worse every season.

In order to be a real contender one of two things need to be done:

#1 If they choose to try to do it before the window closes for Z, D and Mule they must trade some assets to solidify the defense (a #2 or #3 RHD PPQB) and a top 6 winger.

Or

#2 Decide to take a long view and try to develop a team that is built to contend for multiple years by developing youth, getting rid of some of the vets, and stocking up on draft picks/prospects.

Currently Ken Holland is the king of half measures. In the offseason instead of trying to address the need for a top 6 winger of a top 3 Dman he goes after an oft-injured Weiss, resigns Cleary and doesn't clear any of the bottom 6 logjam. Thus reducing both the Wings chances of contending for a cup, and limiting the spots younger players can have to start developing in the NHL.

Now if he makes a "hockey trade" for a bottom 6 defender (I would assume this would be the only type of move he'd make, as he has been clear hockey trade means roster player for roster player, no prospects no picks on the table), it may increase the Wings' chances of retaining the #8 spot, but realistically does anyone believe a "hockey trade" makes this team a contender? And if the Wings' aren't a contender why not actually rebuild? Young players since the new CBA are pretty much indentured slaves of the team that drafts them, and they also make great pieces for trades for more established talent.

So TL:DR goes like this:

The Wings need to commit to an actual strategy, win now, or build for the future.

The sooner we realize Holland isn't going to make a trade the more painless it will be. Holland won't overpay for someone at the deadline and instead wait till July 1st to sign someone for free. Then after realizing no one will sign here, he will resign Bertuzzi and Quincey. Lol

The sooner we realize Holland isn't going to make a trade the more painless it will be. Holland won't overpay for someone at the deadline and instead wait till July 1st to sign someone for free. Then after realizing no one will sign here, he will resign Bertuzzi and Quincey. Lol

Gosh that was a tough pill to swallow reading that... sad part is it has a 95% chance of being true.

Actually over half the teams make the playoffs, there are 16 spots for 30 teams. And you're right that you don't need a top pick to win, but, the team is suffering from years of not having much talent in the farm system. How about I ask the Pens, or the Blackhawks how they like having some early picks or how about Colorado?

Columbus has 1 point more than us I believe, Winnipeg is currently in 9th place and could easily end up in the dance.The Islanders were a playoff team last season and were only one point behind Detroit. Finally Florida clinched the Southeast not two seasons ago as top seed.